Fundamentals of Political Science (PSG110)

This course introduces students to the study of politics and its main sub-division: political philosophy, comparative politics, and international relations. It examines different important concepts like the state, government and its branches, political system, democracy, and political ideology. By the conclusion of this course, students will understand the basic political concepts, the purposes and functions of government, the types of political systems, the contributions and influences of major political thinkers and ideologies, and the structure, methodology and research tools of political science.

Credit Hours :
3

Government & Politics of UAE (PSG120)

The course analyzes the government and politics of the United Arab Emirates. It concentrates on the constitution and other authorities in the state, including political institutions, the federal political structure and the internal decision making process. Furthermore, the relationships among the three branches of government are studied, as well as the relationship between the federal authority and the local authorities.

Credit Hours :
3

Introduction to Public Administration (PSG130)

Public administration is concerned with the management of public programs. This course examines the work of public administrators in different kinds of organizations. It seeks to provide a clear understanding of the political and historical context in which public organizations operate. It also examines the many technical functions such as planning, organizing, budgeting, personnel, decision making process, leadership and evaluation, with which public administrators must be familiar.

Credit Hours :
3

Methods of Research in PSG (PSG242)

This course introduces students to the logic and practice of systematic research within political science. Topics include the philosophy of social science, research design, measurement principles, probability sampling, data collection methods, data analysis, hypothesis testing, and data presentation.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Principles of International Relations (PSG250)

The course is designed to acquaint students with the core concepts, processes, and issues of international relations. The course deals with the concept and definitions of international relations, examines the actors in international relations and how the foreign policy is made. The course examines major forms of interaction between states, and focuses on contemporary and future problems in the international system.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Political Thought (PSG261)

The course covers examples of Western political thought from ancient times to the present. It also deals with the evolution of modern political thought through the study of some basic philosophical concepts such as natural law, the social contract, individualism, liberalism, conservatism, and socialism, etc.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Comparative Political Systems (PSG270)

The course introduces a comprehensive theoretical and comparative basis for the study of contemporary political systems. This includes an analysis of the specific nature and the salient characteristics of each system, as well as the main variables that influence its evolution. The range of comparative analysis extends to include Western, Eastern, and Third World countries.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

International Organizations (PSG301)

The course analyzes international and regional organizations, examining their history, charters, infrastructure, and operations focusing on the United Nations, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The influential role that international organizations play in consolidating interdependence and integration among nations under the umbrella of the new world order is also discussed and evaluated.

Credit Hours :
3

Diplomatic Systems (PSG302)

The course analyzes the general basis and the roles that guide and control the close relationship between foreign policy and diplomacy. Studying diplomacy is accomplished in accordance with legal procedures, diplomatic and strategic objectives of the state system. The course focuses on studying the theoretical as well as the practical dimensions of diplomacy.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Foreign Policy of Arab States (PSG312)

The course analyzes the political, economic, social, and constitutional factors that influence the making and implementation of the foreign policies of a number of Arab states. Emphasis is given to the comparative analysis of patterns of interactions, functions, and performance. Some current vital issues such as: Arabs and the new international order, the Arab regional system since the eruption of the second Gulf crisis, the evolution of the peace process in the Middle East, the Arab spring, national quarrels over the division of water resources in the region are all introduced and analyzed.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

International Political Economy (PSG315)

The course examines the theoretical and practical aspects of international political economy, such as liberal economic policies, mercantilism and protectionism, critical theories of international political economy, economic cooperation, wealth and power, and structures of international political economy including security, finance, production, and knowledge structures. The course also explores state public policies dealing with migration, poverty, and remittances.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Gulf & Arabic Peninsula Affairs (PSG321)

The course studies the geopolitical and economic importance of the Arabian Gulf region and Arabian Peninsula. It focuses on the analysis of the behavior of the states of the region towards those regional and national issues that affect their national interests. Special emphasis is placed on security considerations. Attention is also given to the role of oil, challenges of development, expatriate labor force, and prospects of integration.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Local Governments & Local Administrations (PSG331)

This course covers the concepts of centralization and decentralization in public administration and governance by exploring local government, its theoretical and practical principles. The course examines the functions of local governments, comparison of different systems of local government and administration with emphasis on the U.A.E., the management of cities and city councils, the political, economic, and legal relationship between local and central governments, challenges and opportunities of local government, and the role of local government in sustaining development.

Credit Hours :
3

Europe & The United States (PSG332)

This course analyzes historical and contemporary trends pertaining to evolution of the political institutions and processes in Western democracies. European integration is dealt with through studying the political institutions and processes of the European Union. It also examines the interactions between the domestic politics of the EU member-states and the United States.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Governmental Budgeting (PSG352)

The course focuses on public budgeting and finance and demonstrates its role as an instrument in managing development and economic stability. It also explains managerial functions provided by the management of public budgeting and finance in the area of planning, follow-up and evaluation, with the presentation of budgeting organization steps from classical methods to modern ones, such as planning and programming budgeting, performance budgeting and zero base budgeting. The course explores taxes, foreign debt, budget deficit, budget surplus, and role of public finance in economic and social development.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Public Governance (PSG415)

The purpose of this course is to take a broad view of governance in the UAE, and international context. First, the concept and characteristics of governance are examined. Second, the course will undertake a depth analysis of the impact of good governance on variety of contemporary issues like transparency, accountability, e-management, administrative reform, and administrative corruption.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Foreign Policy of Great Powers (PSG422)

A survey of the basic principles and factors that affect the process of making the foreign policies of the great powers, with emphasis on their objectives and dimensions within the context of a rapidly changing world. Special attention is given to the analysis of bilateral relations between each great power and developing countries, particularly Arab and Islamic states.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Public Policy (PSG425)

This course identifies wider governmental system and analyses the basic principles of public policy. The course is to appreciate a full life cycle of public policy. Students are required to formulate policy proposals with recommendations for policy responses, including comparisons of possible instruments, and the essentials for possible implementation, delivery, compliance and evaluation.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Special Topics (PSG430)

The course deals with topics in the fields of specialization that are not ordinarily offered through courses in the curriculum. It is intended to provide students with the most up-to-date and latest developments in the discipline of Political Science, on the one hand, and make use of the various fields of specialization, knowledge, experiences, and interests of the department staff and visiting scholars, on the other hand.

Credit Hours :
3

Prerequisites

Internship (PSG440)

Students are placed an appropriate institution where they can apply their curricular knowledge in a practical setting. The student should spend a minimum of 150 hours at the internship site. An alternative module is for internship students to function as undergraduate research assistants within the Department of Political Science and possibly across the CHSS, through the mentorship of a researching faculty member.

Credit Hours :
3

Public Policy Analysis Theory & Practice (PSG501)

This course identifies wider governmental system and analyses the basic principles of public policy. The course examines how issues emerge, ideas are framed, priorities are established, and policy agenda are set and managed, and considers factors like the political and bureaucratic actors, the non-state actors (organizations and networks), emerging models of stakeholder analyses and engagement, etc.

Credit Hours :
3

New Public Man & Governments (PSG504)

This course goes beyond examining the aspects of ‘new public management’ (corporatization, privatization, managerialism, strategic planning and program management, etc.) focusing on a comprehensive analysis of the state-of-the-art of public management. The course will focus (following Osborne 2010) on theoretical perspectives on public governance, governance of inter-organizational partnerships, governance of contractual relationships, governance of inter-organizational networks, and governance of policy networks. The course will examine the issues related to meta-governance.

Credit Hours :
3

Research Methods for Political Analysis (PSG505)

The course will examine the practical applications of empirical methods to real-world public policy issues focusing on designing research, collecting, analyzing, and making sense of information and data. The main objective of the course will be to help the participants comprehend the types of research that can lead to convincing policy analyses and to become proficient in dealing with (and make sense of) small as well as large sets of data. The participants will be exposed to issues likely to rise while establishing relationships among different social phenomena. The course may concentrate primarily on public program evaluation research techniques, design, and implementation.

Credit Hours :
3

Globalization, International Agencies & Public Policy (PSG513)

The course will examine the implications of globalization and international political economy on the substantive and procedural aspects of policy making. It introduces the participants to a range of theoretical perspectives on international political economy, globalization and development. The course will examine the growth and respective impacts of international and supranational organizations on domestic public policy. The course will study the impacts of major global issues on domestic public policy, the ‘internationalization’ of domestic issues, and influence of the international and supranational organizations. Finally, the course will deal with global public policies and its making and influences on domestic public policies.

Credit Hours :
3

Government, Leadership, & Pubic Management (PSG517)

The main objective of this course is to examine organizational leadership issues, and organization architecture in the context of a dynamic policy environment in a globalized world in the management of the public sector. The course introduces the participants to the main functions and responsibilities of managers and leaders in public organizations, and how organizations and leadership are structured within the context of their larger social, political, and economic environments. One major objective of the course is to examine the importance of meeting the needs of the organization and that of productivity while ensuring high performance through motivated and satisfied employees.

Credit Hours :
3

Public Policy Design and Tools (PSG518)

Modern governments use varied instruments and tools to influence or control actions, events, objects, persons or relationships to achieve identified policy goals. The objective of this course is to equip students with the knowhow of designing public policies and the instruments and tools employed in the process. The course is divided into two parts. The first part addresses the process by which policies are designed both through technical analyses and through political and administrative processes. The second part allows students scope to learn why and how to use certain policy instruments and tools in given cases.

Credit Hours :
3

Environmental Policy & Sustainable Development Management (PSG521)

The course is to deal with the fundamentals of environmental policy and theories of sustainable development imparting essential knowledge and skills for environmental policy making and management. Topics may include national and international regulations related to mining and petroleum, nature conservation and protected areas, water management, environmental pollution, climate change, etc. Resources from the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (and the other emirates, as and when available) will be used for professional development of the participants.

Credit Hours :
3

Implementation, Evaluation & Monitoring of Strategic Issues (PSG522)

This course will deal with contemporary frameworks and techniques essential for implementing and evaluating public policy by maintaining organizational performance to achieve policy objectives. The course will enhance knowledge and skills of strategic planning, performance measurement and management, organizational structure, project management, and organizational change. The course will be studied on a comparative basis including examples, as possible, from different political entities and socio-economic contexts.

Credit Hours :
3

Comparative Political Institutions (PSG526)

Public policy does not function in vacuum, and is bound by political institutions, law, and the governmental procedures. The prime objective of the course is to provide a comprehensive and comparative understanding of the structure and relationships of the above using examples from different Western and Eastern countries. The way in which the political institutions (in a broad sense) influences and are dealt with for public sector ethics, different forms of accountability mechanisms, transparency, etc. will also be the focus of the course.

Credit Hours :
3

Seminar in Government & Public Policy in the UAE (PSG527)

This course is to give the students opportunity to pursue a supervised study and analysis of any policy area or policy related topic (approved by the instructor) and prepare seminar presentations. The course may be based on case study of one (or many) public policy arena(s) in the UAE following the basic theoretical foundation. The case study may be substituted by reviews of case study/studies or other literature (e.g. peer reviewed publications) related to UAE public policy or public service analyses.

Credit Hours :
3

Public Policy Theory & Practice (PSG620)

This course is designed to provide doctoral students a detailed familiarity with the context of public policy studies, including both institutions and practices. It will provide an overview of the core literature, including: intellectual bases of public policy studies, the history of public policy studies, analysis of institutional structure, and other topics.

Credit Hours :
3

Public Finance & Budgeting (PSG630)

This course provides academic immersion into public budgeting theory and research. The course requires exploration of the scholarly foundations of finance and governmental budgeting as well as past and current reform efforts. The state of the practice in public budgeting is examined for evidence of its intersection with theoretical perspective. The course presents normative and descriptive considerations of public budgeting, the scholarly bases behind various orientations to process, and the knowledge base regarding enduring issues surrounding this vital governmental process.

Credit Hours :
3

Global Public Policy Issues (PSG635)

This course will introduce students to the contemporary study of international political economy, or how politics and economics interact at the global, regional and national levels. The course will highlight the major analytical frameworks in the field of International Political Economy and how these can be applied to empirical questions concerning the structure of the global public policy issues, the sources and implications of globalization, the nature of international institutions, and national economic policy choices.

Credit Hours :
3

Research Methods in Public Policy (PSG640)

This research methods course on the fundamentals of qualitative and quantitative analysis that will enable students to interpret findings of social research found in leading public administration and public affairs journals. Students will be introduced to the real world of methods with assignments which reflect the true challenges of doing research: constructing a survey methods instrument, conducting ethnography in the field, learning to analyze census data, reading a Ph.D. dissertation and so on.

Credit Hours :
3

Seminar in Public Policy Issues in the UAE (PSG645)

This course will examine some of the foundational policy frameworks of the Emirati Social Contract, including Health and Education policy, to determine how well they continue to achieve their stated policy objectives and identify how UAE could achieve better alignment between policy objective frameworks and outcomes.

Credit Hours :
3

Master Degree Thesis (PSG699)

The students will be required to work on primary research to complete a thesis working over two semesters. All students, at first, will have to work on a policy research design (based on the PSG 505: Research Methods for Policy Analysis) and prepare a research proposal to be approved by the student’s advisory committee (as per the Departmental/Faculty guides, as developed in future). The thesis must adhere to the minimum criteria (of length and quality) to be adopted by the Department/Faculty in future.